William keenan



(Mode l.)

W. KEENAN. v Binder for the Filing and Protection of Papers. No.230,135. Patent ed July 20,1880.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LI'THDGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT I Trice.

BINDER FOR THE FILING AND PROTECTION OF PAPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,135, dated July 20,1880.

Application filed April 8, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, WILLIAM KEENAN, of the city of Toronto, in the countyof York, in theProvince of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Binders for the Filing and Protection ofPapers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of binders having two flaps or leavesconnected with a back, and adapted to receive, hold, and retain letters,papers, pamphlets, newspapers,or other similar materials which are to befiled in and held and protected thereby.

My improvements consist in certain novel devices, hereinafter moreparticularly described, which are placed within the back of such ahinder or cover and connected to the leaves or flaps hereinbeforereferred to.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of my binder drawnto a scale somewhat smaller than that of the other figures, showingfinger-screws t' i. Fig. 2 is an end view, showing the side leaves orboards, a a, the longitudinal back pieces, a a, and flexible cover M.Fig. 3 is an end View, showing one of the elliptical metallic jointedframes b, which are placed within such back, the leaves being shownattached thereto, showing also screw 2', wheel (1, standard cl, springa, band f, and prong J, also flexible cover a Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryplan, showing the joint 0 and spring 0 of one of the metallic frames 1).Fig. 5 is a view of the opposite side of the elliptical metallic frame1), showing more clearly the joint a, cam c, and spring 0 also wheel at,standard d, band f, spring 0, and prong J, also the hinges a A is theexterior of the binder, composed of the two leaves or boards a a andback pieces, a a, connected to the leaves by a flexible cover of leatheror other suitable material, 0?, as in an ordinary book. The back isformed of two longitudinal parts, which are also connected by theflexible cover (1?, which permits the spreading apart of these partswhen the jointed metallic frames are opened to receive or remove papers,or for any other purpose. Two or more of these frames 1) are used for abinder, and they should be placed one near each end of the cover andback, and when required one or more additional ones may be used andplaced at proper distances apart.

Each frame I) is made of two parts hinged together, as shown atc,ouepart having acam, 0, and the other a spring, 0 which bears upon such camwhen the two parts or members of I the frame are pulled in a directionfrom each other in spreading open the binder. The function of the earn 0and spring 0 is to keep the binder open when drawn apart without the aidof the screws t i, and with the spring 0 properly made it answers thispurpose.

A wheel, (I, is provided with an internal spiral spring, 0, which isattached at one end to the rim of the wheel and at the other end to thestandard (1. This standard forms part of the frame I), and on it is thebearing for the wheel. A band,f, (or, if preferred, a watchspring,) isattached to the rim of the wheel at g, and to a lug, h, on the otherpart of the frame b. Each frame I) is provided with a finger-screw, z,the object of which is to lock the wheel by causing its point, as maybedesired, to lodge in any one of the small cavities i, Fig. 3, in theperiphery of the wheel 07, and thus, after the binder has been openedfor the purpose of placing articles therein and these articles have beenso placed therein, the tightening of these screws in the appropriate oneof the cavities looks or fastens the binder shut to the extent desired,and upon releasing the several screws from such cavities the coiledsprings are again free to act and to operate automatically to close thebinder upon any other papers which may be inserted therein.

A principal object of the wheel 01 and spring 6 and screw t is thefunction of locking the binder when shut by setting the points of thescrews 11 t into the appropriate cavities.

A curved needle-pointed prong, J, is affixed, as shown, to one of theparts of each frame b, and the other member of such frame hasacorresponding cavity (shown in dotted lines at J to receive and protectsuch prong. The papers to be filed are punctured and held and securedupon these prongs, the frame being first opened against the force of thesprings sufficiently to withdraw the prongs from the cavities J, and itwill be evident that as many papers may be filed as the length of theprongs will permit, and that the elliptical form of the frames allows oflong prongs, and with but a slight curvature.

Each member of the frames b b has a hinged piece, M, by which it issecured to the leaves or flaps of the cover.

By my construction it will be seen that no thread is used nor threadingof needles required, the flaps fit closely down on the papers, thusexcluding dust and keeping the papers clean, and the flaps will openwide and lie flat, while the filed papers can be easily referred to andread.

I claim- 1. A hinged metallic frame for file-binders, one memberof whichis provided with acurved sharp-pointed prong entering,when the binderWILLIAM KEENAN.

Witnesses WILLIAM GILL, JOHN ELLIOTT.

